Since Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch at the Euro 2020 tournament, interest has focused on the cardiac health of sportsmen and women, and footballers in particular. So a study by an international team from Manchester, Montpellier … Read More
How behavioural science can build trust in Covid vaccines – as it works in Jersey
Vaccine hesitancy is a major concern because it may put a limit on how effective our vaccines could be, and consequently threaten our control over the Covid-19 pandemic. I believe we all have the right to decide for ourselves. The … Read More
New antiviral approach could make Covid symptoms milder and recovery faster
How about an antiviral treatment that would make Covid-19 symptoms milder and help speed up recovery? Well, it could be on the cards. A new procedure, focusing on fixing cell damage rather than fighting the virus itself, is already effective … Read More
Hormone placenta test can spot early signs of life-threatening disorders in pregnancy
The placenta is a complex and mysterious organ and a lifeline for babies. It forms and grows from the fertilised egg, and attaches to the wall of the uterus, allowing nutrients and oxygen to flow from mother to child, while … Read More
Vaccinating children under 12 against coronavirus has more cons than pros
The argument over whether to vaccinate children or not against Covid-19 is thorny, and there are not as many pros as cons in my opinion. Several countries are considering child vaccination and several vaccines have been approved for use in … Read More
People scared of catching Covid are more judgmental and disapproving, study shows
Now here’s an interesting one. Apparently people who are scared of catching Covid are also the most judgmental and disapproving – and not just about being careless with restrictions, but any wrongdoing. Yes, researchers have been looking into how we … Read More
Exercise may be trigger for motor neurone disease with several elite athletes affected
Motor neurone disease has dogged my medical career. As a student taking medical finals, one of the patients I was tested on had a particular form of MND, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and I’ve never forgotten it. Then, in middle age, … Read More
Gene related to where a person lives ‘could prevent severe reaction to Covid’
Have you ever wondered why some people who catch Covid only have a mild illness, while others become seriously ill? Well, a scientific and medical team at Newcastle University have shown that a particular gene, called HLA-DRB1*04:01, is found three times more … Read More
Anti-viral oral drugs for Covid-19 could be given to us by the autumn
We currently have some successful antiviral drugs. Acyclovir is potent against herpes, particularly genital herpes, taken orally and used locally as a cream. So why, you may ask, do we not have an antiviral drug to treat Covid? Well, we could … Read More
£1.8million jab helped tiny Arthur – and babies should be saved at any cost
Newborn babies can have some heart-breaking illnesses, for which there are no treatments. Spinal muscular atrophy used to be one of them, with babies rarely living longer than two years old. But now there’s new hope for SMA – gene therapy. Costly … Read More